Why a Menstrual Cup Is a Game Changer
And Why You Should Get One
Any of my fellow menstruating individuals know all about the struggles of menstruation. Most of us know the uncomfortable feeling of wearing sanitary products. What most of us don’t know, however, is how our sanitary products affect the environment. A menstrual cup is a game changer in all ways.
For one thing, sanitary products and their wrappings generate more than 200,000 tonnes of waste per year, and they all contain plastic. As we know, plastic is not good for the environment, and it is also not good for us to have in close proximity to such sensitive parts of our bodies. Tampons and pads can upset the normal pH balance of the vagina, which will dry it out and can cause discomfort, itching, rashes, and infections.
All of the waste generated by disposable sanitary products will end up in landfills or in seas and rivers. According to the Women’s Environmental Network, a UK beach clean in 2010 found an average of 23 pads and nine tampon applicators per kilometre of British coastline. Additionally, many of us are told when period products are being introduced that tampons are flushable, which makes them an attractive alternative to pads, but we don’t know that it harms the environment. These flushed tampons end up polluting the sea along with other common products such as condoms and wet wipes, all of which contain plastic and are harmful to marine life.
If disposable sanitary products are no good for you, then they can’t be any good for Mother Earth either. Besides being an eco friendly alternative to disposable period products, a menstrual cup has other attractive qualities. For starters, you can wear a menstrual cup for longer than a pad or tampon, requiring less frequent changes in your product. Like tampons, you can wear a menstrual cup while swimming, dancing, doing yoga or gymnastics, running, or other sporty activities. Additionally, a menstrual cup is a one-time buy for years. When we take into account that the average menstruating individual will go through approximately 11,000 disposable sanitary products in their lifetime, and multiply that by the cost of disposable sanitary products, one can see how much it would save them.
I would recommend a Mooncup to any menstruating individual that I know because it is an absolute GAME CHANGER. The Mooncup is the product you never have to worry about! It is a comfortable, eco friendly alternative that saves your wallet while it’s helping to save the environment, and everyone who menstruates should own one or more.
If you liked this article or know anyone who menstruates, please share it with your friends. Please help us to have plastic free seas, cleaner beaches, and healthier vaginas.
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Interested in learning more about vaginal health? Check out this Essence video.
If you're interested in the source for some of the facts mentioned, check out the Women's Environmental Network.
About the Creator
Onyx Ocean
230 Hour certified yoga teacher, AS in Early Childhood Education, author, Lvl 3 Beach School Leader, Bachelor's Degree of Arts (Hons) in Education Studies, PGCE in Further Ed, 150 Hr TEFL.
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